Boston College has been dropping the football a lot, and that has led to dropping games

A season that began with promise for Boston College has soured in recent weeks because of the Eagles’ inability to hold on to the football.

Against Virginia Tech last week, BC fumbled six times and lost three. On the season, the Eagles have fumbled 15 times and lost seven. That slots them tied for second in the nation at 2.14 fumbles per game. Last year, they had 15 fumbles and lost five on the season.

A program that prides itself on fundamentals and discipline has made life much more difficult than it has to be. If the Eagles hadn’t coughed it up against Virginia and Virginia Tech, they could be looking at a 6-1 record.

Instead, they’re hovering near .500 (4-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), losers of two straight, and in danger of seeing everything they’ve worked for fully unravel. BC welcomes Louisville (4-3, 2-2) to town this Friday at 7:30 p.m., with a chance to put its woes behind and regain momentum. It’s abundantly clear that ball security is the No. 1 priority.

“When you carry the football for Boston College, you’re carrying the hopes and dreams of BC,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “The hopes and dreams of the football team, the school, the city if there’s fans in the city, which I believe there are. Your families, their hopes and dreams.”

Perhaps the most maddening part is that the fumbles have come at critical moments. A scoop-and-score helped Virginia extend its lead to 10 in the fourth quarter. Two more fumbles from quarterback Thomas Castellanos the next week gave the Hokies prime field position.

“I’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the ball,” Castellanos said. “Those are not on the backs or anybody else. The ball is in my hands every play, every snap. I’ve got to do a better job protecting the ball.”

O’Brien and his staff are taking extra measures in practice to ensure that players know exactly what the coaches mean by taking care of the ball. They’re drilling it over and over.

They’re also prioritizing tackling at a higher level. Against a Louisville team that scored 45 points in a loss against No. 6 Miami, avoiding chunk plays is imperative. Virginia Tech racked up 368 rushing yards and had two rushing touchdowns of 60-plus yards.

“It’s definitely a wake-up call,” nickel back Cameron Martinez said. “When you lose, you look in the mirror and see the flaws. You see what you have to get better at. I think as a team we’ve been able to see that. Now we have to apply it, keep on putting the work in, and try to make a push.”

O’Brien highlighted Louisville’s team speed as a major asset, with running back Isaac Brown and wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks heavily involved. The Cardinals, who have a new quarterback this season in 6-foot-5-inch, sixth-year redshirt senior Tyler Shough, hung 56 points on BC a season ago.

The BC defense will be without standout cornerback Amari Jackson, who tore an ACL in the Virginia game. With Jackson sidelined, his teammates will take on added responsibility.

“Missing him is a big deal,” strong safety KP Price said. “At the end of the day, the season goes on, but we’re all with him. It’s our brother. Next man.”

They also may be without star linebacker Kam Arnold, who is third on the team in tackles. Arnold wore a sling on his left arm and didn’t practice Monday.

O’Brien on Tuesday listed him as “probably day to day,” and said the sling is “kind of a precaution.” Arnold was injured while punching the ball out of VT quarterback Kyron Drones’s hands for a fumble.

Offensively, in addition to minimizing turnovers, the Eagles will look to return to their roots as an elite rushing team. BC dazzled in its third-quarter comeback against Virginia Tech, but consistency from the offensive line and running backs is lacking.

Starting left tackle Jude Bowry said the emphasis is on moving the line of scrimmage and avoiding negative plays. Running back Kye Robichaux doesn’t believe they need to do anything drastic.

“Really, it’s just getting back to fundamentals,” Robichaux said.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier. After Louisville, the Eagles have Syracuse (5-1), No. 22 SMU (6-1), North Carolina (3-4), and No. 19 Pittsburgh (6-0) to close out the season.

Reaching eight wins for the first time since 2009 is still possible, but the sand in the hourglass is slipping away. It starts Friday night, and they believe they’ll be ready.

“We just have to get back to the drawing board and continue to fight,” Bowry said. “Back-to-back losses is very tough, but we’ve got a really good team.”